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Both my boys are indoor.
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Indoor or outdoor?
- Thread starter sarah of borg
- Start Date
Because we're not allowed to have pets here, our cats are strictly indoor.
I would have wanted them to be indoor/outdoor at first. But now that I see how happy they are indoors only - and we live in a small space (but we give them a lot of attention and play), I think I'd have pets indoor only and care for ferals outdoors.
If I were going to allow indoor/outdoor though, I would only do it in a rural area, and I'd only let spayed and neutered cats outside, period.
I think I'd have their ears tatooed instead of microchipped - maybe I'd do both.
I would have wanted them to be indoor/outdoor at first. But now that I see how happy they are indoors only - and we live in a small space (but we give them a lot of attention and play), I think I'd have pets indoor only and care for ferals outdoors.
If I were going to allow indoor/outdoor though, I would only do it in a rural area, and I'd only let spayed and neutered cats outside, period.
I think I'd have their ears tatooed instead of microchipped - maybe I'd do both.
Amber, I thought I would be able to keep Chewy in cause he had never been outside but from the first day he was at the door wanting out and was always ready to sneak out the first chance he got. Then of course, he found the doggie door.
When I shut that he finds another way out
I don't know where but I think the dryer vent.
I haven't figured out a way to stop him.
Indoor only here.
My girls are indoor cats as well. I feel they are safer this way.
Once in a while we take them in the backyard on a leash with a harness and they love it.
Once in a while we take them in the backyard on a leash with a harness and they love it.
My four boys are both indoor and outdoor.... they have a giant kitty cage outdoors and lounge around indoors all day long... but most of you already know that
Indoor/outdoor. Not that I think there's anything inherently wrong with an indoor only situation, provided the cat is happy and has an appropriately challenging and active life indoors -- also that if it DOES get out, it knows the way home.
However, I do believe that it is a more natural life for a cat to be allowed outdoors, on its own terms. I believe that it's my responsibility to make sure that the cat knows where home is and how to get to safety in a hurry, before I allow it out unsupervised. I think it's much like bringing up human kids: you do your best to give the child (cat) the tools to function in the world (you have to rely on cat-mum and instinct for some of that), and then make sure they know where home is and that you are there for them, come what may.
That said, I don't really have a great deal of choice, where I'm living. In the warm weather, doors are open all the time, and any cat who wants out will go. It's a rental property, so constructing cat cages is not an option. Therefore, I accept that the cats make their own choice -- most choose at least some outdoor time.
There have been anxious times, we have lost one kitty (RIP Sam
), but there's enough feline frustration on the odd occasion when they've been kept in, that I'm just not about to restrict them that way, on the whole.
However, I also think that everyone's situation is different, and you have to make your decision the best you can with that in mind. It's not a black-and-white question.
However, I do believe that it is a more natural life for a cat to be allowed outdoors, on its own terms. I believe that it's my responsibility to make sure that the cat knows where home is and how to get to safety in a hurry, before I allow it out unsupervised. I think it's much like bringing up human kids: you do your best to give the child (cat) the tools to function in the world (you have to rely on cat-mum and instinct for some of that), and then make sure they know where home is and that you are there for them, come what may.
That said, I don't really have a great deal of choice, where I'm living. In the warm weather, doors are open all the time, and any cat who wants out will go. It's a rental property, so constructing cat cages is not an option. Therefore, I accept that the cats make their own choice -- most choose at least some outdoor time.
There have been anxious times, we have lost one kitty (RIP Sam
However, I also think that everyone's situation is different, and you have to make your decision the best you can with that in mind. It's not a black-and-white question.
Here are some facts, averge lifespan of an outdoor kity is 1-2 years. The average lifespan of an indoor kitty is 15-18 and often can be longer. I have6 cats, all fixed, indoor only. If you let your cats roam and they have not been fixed, you are contributing to pet overpopulation and consequently to the murder of healthy animals that goes on in shelters across the country every day.
If you have property and they are safe to roam on it then it's a nice treat for them, but there are still some risks. The only way to ensure their safety is to take them out under supervision, build an enclosure, walk them on a leash or walk them in a pet stroller.
You heard right! There are pet strollers available as well as backpacks and shoulder bags. My kitties have a Samsonite backpack, a Sherpa shoulder bag, and the Pet-n-Go double pet stroller. Check out the links. They have cat trees, toys, tunnels, videos, window perches,running water fountains, and beds. When I clean up I cyclye their toys and put them on their towers in a pravocative fashion. They are happy and safe.
http://pet-n-go.com/
http://www.midnightpass.com/kittywal...-products.html
http://www.angelicalcat.com/
http://kittyshow.com/x_about_us.htm
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer
If you have property and they are safe to roam on it then it's a nice treat for them, but there are still some risks. The only way to ensure their safety is to take them out under supervision, build an enclosure, walk them on a leash or walk them in a pet stroller.
You heard right! There are pet strollers available as well as backpacks and shoulder bags. My kitties have a Samsonite backpack, a Sherpa shoulder bag, and the Pet-n-Go double pet stroller. Check out the links. They have cat trees, toys, tunnels, videos, window perches,running water fountains, and beds. When I clean up I cyclye their toys and put them on their towers in a pravocative fashion. They are happy and safe.
http://pet-n-go.com/
http://www.midnightpass.com/kittywal...-products.html
http://www.angelicalcat.com/
http://kittyshow.com/x_about_us.htm
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer
OK, I was trying not to be defensive, but here I go again (sorry, anyone who has already read this elsewhere)...
In 25 years of relationships with cats, I have had one -- repeat ONE -- cat lost before the age of two years. I'm not counting Chinook, who lived for five days after I got her and never went out, or Percy, who was a stray who walked in and walked out.
Shasta lived to 21+. Nibs lived to 15+. Gryphon lived to 13+ (and died of cancer). Suzy is over 4; Cindy and Fawn are 2 and a half. All are or have been indoor/outdoor. None has had health problems attributable to that fact, or nasty encounters with other critters, humans or motor vehicles. We live in a large (not humungous) city, on a main thoroughfare. There is urban wildlife all around us.
I keep hearing these "facts" and they just don't jibe with my experience -- first hand OR second hand, as I have many friends who are cat people and who will quote you similar experiences to mine. Sorry, I just can't let this be stated as the Only Truth. It is NOT black and white.
(I'll go back in my cage now.)
I keep my own cats indoors. I live in the middle of Los Angeles in a large apartment building, so even if I wished to let them out, I couldn't.
The cats we had growing up were/are indoor/outdoor cats because they were feral and came to our backdoor as strays. Over the years, the strays learned our backyard was a good bet if you wanted the comforts of a home. My parents still feed a cat who hangs out on the patio.
Problem was, they wouldn't tolerate being indoor cats after spending the first year or so of their lives in the great outdoors. So we HAD to let them out. C.C., who is 13 years-old now, never learned to use the litterbox (well, he will occasionally, but he mainly refuses to).
Ironically, the only one of the the five cats we had over the years who WASN'T born feral was the one who died as a proximate result of his outdoor living. He got into too many fights and contracted FIV. (He was neutered and a total sweetheart to us.)
I guess we felt they were safe because they'd managed to survive out there for a year or more on their own. We lived in the suburbs on a long street that was right at the start of the cul de sac, so there wasn't much traffic on the street.
Except for Licky (FIV kitty) and Snowflake who already had feline leukemia when we adopted her, the other 3 thrived. Custard lived to almost 18, despite a 4 year battle with diabetes. Dusty is now 15 and perfectly healthy and energetic. C.C. is 13 and full of energy. So, I guess it can work. As an adult with my own cats, I keep them indoors, but I understand the decision my parents had to make.
The cats we had growing up were/are indoor/outdoor cats because they were feral and came to our backdoor as strays. Over the years, the strays learned our backyard was a good bet if you wanted the comforts of a home. My parents still feed a cat who hangs out on the patio.
Problem was, they wouldn't tolerate being indoor cats after spending the first year or so of their lives in the great outdoors. So we HAD to let them out. C.C., who is 13 years-old now, never learned to use the litterbox (well, he will occasionally, but he mainly refuses to).
Ironically, the only one of the the five cats we had over the years who WASN'T born feral was the one who died as a proximate result of his outdoor living. He got into too many fights and contracted FIV. (He was neutered and a total sweetheart to us.)
I guess we felt they were safe because they'd managed to survive out there for a year or more on their own. We lived in the suburbs on a long street that was right at the start of the cul de sac, so there wasn't much traffic on the street.
Except for Licky (FIV kitty) and Snowflake who already had feline leukemia when we adopted her, the other 3 thrived. Custard lived to almost 18, despite a 4 year battle with diabetes. Dusty is now 15 and perfectly healthy and energetic. C.C. is 13 and full of energy. So, I guess it can work. As an adult with my own cats, I keep them indoors, but I understand the decision my parents had to make.
Most definately indoor.
I live in a very busy part of London, so there is absolutely NO WAY they are stepping a foot outside my door.
Yes some people here do i think i'm mad/cruel, but there is simply no other way.
They'd simply get run over very quickly or get stolen.
I live in a very busy part of London, so there is absolutely NO WAY they are stepping a foot outside my door.
Yes some people here do i think i'm mad/cruel, but there is simply no other way.
They'd simply get run over very quickly or get stolen.
Dear rapunzel47, if you think I'm mistaken about my stats please checkout the following links.
http://www.hsus.org/ace/13960
http://www.ani-med.org/cats_behavior...tdoor_cats.htm
http://www.feralcat.com/
I'm not saying that cats who are allowed to roam will die, but nationwide statistics prove indoor only cats live significantly longer than outdoor cats. If you review the feral cat site and other sites about feral cat management, you'll see that cats in managed colonies live longer healthier lives than those who aren't managed.
http://www.hsus.org/ace/13960
http://www.ani-med.org/cats_behavior...tdoor_cats.htm
http://www.feralcat.com/
I'm not saying that cats who are allowed to roam will die, but nationwide statistics prove indoor only cats live significantly longer than outdoor cats. If you review the feral cat site and other sites about feral cat management, you'll see that cats in managed colonies live longer healthier lives than those who aren't managed.
I would definately say in especially if you want a healthy cat and if you breed
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